The rate would equate to $50 per year on a house with an assessed value of $100,000. It would be $100 per year on a house with an assessed value of $200,000.

The council could levy the tax without a vote. City Manager Ronnie Dixon has estimated that the revenue from residential property alone would net around $180,000, based on Census data.

At the May 19 city council meeting, Dixon discussed a shortcoming of roughly $20,000 per month below the city’s budgeted income. At the June 2 meeting he reiterated this problem.

The city council had a five-millage property tax increase on its agenda in August 2013, but voted 3-2 to remove it from the agenda. It would have generated an additional $500,000 in revenue for the city. Dixon said last year that the average home value in Clay is $120,000 and there are 2,900 houses in the city.